Why orchestra? (Full Version)

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XXX -> Why orchestra? (Sep. 17 2012 14:04:55)

Why oh why seem flamenco guitarrists so keen on recording their stuff with an orchestra?? I MUST be missing something here. Is it a matter of prestige, is it good publicity, concluding new customer circles? Sorry but i will not acknowledge it as artistic decision as i think the addition of an orchestra completely nullifies the directness of flamenco, not to mention that the guitar remains way underpowered with its skinny tone compared to the real instruments. I can understand how single instruments can blend nicely with flamenco, such as violin, sax or even harmonics. But 40 other instruments playing stuff that was composed for a single guitar? Nope.




clevblue -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 17 2012 14:47:37)

Glad someone else thinks it's wrong. Just doesn't go together at all




Erik van Goch -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 17 2012 17:42:22)

In my opinion it can work, but only with suitable arrangements and/or musicians who are able to understand/speak the language of flamenco (which indeed is a rare combination).

Ever listened to Sanlucar's fabulous record Tauromagia?

Try the difference yourself:

unfortunately the sound of the (solo) guitar version is quite bad and personally i don't like the background bells of the orchestra, but the brass arrangements are fabulous.







mark indigo -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 17 2012 18:40:02)

quote:

i will not acknowledge it as artistic decision as i think the addition of an orchestra completely nullifies the directness of flamenco


quote:

Glad someone else thinks it's wrong. Just doesn't go together at all


Half of El Duende Flamenco de PDL cd ruined (otherwise one of his best)

Queda La Sal (Alegrias) on Gerardo's Flamencos en Nueva York likewise spoilt

and many others

why oh why oh why do they do this?

does it make them feel like real serious musicians to have an orchestra?



quote:

In my opinion it can work, but only with suitable arrangements and/or musicians who are able to understand/speak the language of flamenco (which indeed is a rare combination).


the other exception alongside Tauromagia is Riqueni's Mi Tiempo album, the common factor with both these two is that the flamenco guitarist wrote the string arrangements themselves.




XXX -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 17 2012 19:25:17)

quote:

ORIGINAL: mark indigo
Queda La Sal (Alegrias)


I know this track very well listened to it million times.
Its THE counterexample on how to add strings to a track IN SPECIFIC PLACES without ruining the whole song. Not a full orchestra playing polyphonic stuff. Basically its just one (monophonic) violin layer added, but copied multiple times. Also note that he is doing the llamadas himself without orchestra, only the picado stuff is supported sometimes (but not always).

Erik, i cant watch the second video. The first one sounds good, but its not an orchestra, so no wonder that it sounds good. [:D] Ok now, orchestra is fine of course, but just doesnt blend well with flamenco at all IMO.




kikkoman -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 17 2012 19:50:57)

i thought the vicente amigo concerto he wrote with leo brouwer was pretty good

also adam del monte seems to have a good ability with orchestration. he wrote a concerto and played it with the santa monica symphony orchestra





Erik van Goch -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 17 2012 20:08:19)

quote:

ORIGINAL: mark indigo


Half of El Duende Flamenco de PDL cd ruined (otherwise one of his best)

Queda La Sal (Alegrias) on Gerardo's Flamencos en Nueva York likewise spoilt

and many others
quote]In my opinion it can work, but only with suitable arrangements and/or musicians who are able to understand/speak the language of flamenco (which indeed is a rare combination).


the other exception alongside Tauromagia is Riqueni's Mi Tiempo album, the common factor with both these two is that the flamenco guitarist wrote the string arrangements themselves.



My father (who transcribed numerous falseta's of Paco de Lucia and others for solo guitar, previously arranged numerous (non)flamenco pieces for various settings in the 50ties/60ties and 70ties and performed with big orchestra on classical guitar/lute) is convinced that the orchestra in Paco's "El Duende Flamenco" was added on top of a solo recording of de Lucia and that they never met/played together. The arrangements my father made for a bulerias i performed during my final exam in 1993 really lifted the piece to a higher level but (once again) was the result of a person knowing both worlds in and out.

From Nuñez Flamencos en Nueva York i can only remember i hatted the hole record at first ear.

I was also a huge fan of Astor Piazzolla's Nuevo Tango Quintet but never liked his/there cooperations with big orchestras because the extra instruments would only cloud the superb arrangements/balance of the quintet and most of the additional musicians didn't speak the Tango language. But quite recently one of the original band members (the fabulous Pablo Ziegler) performed with the Dutch Metropole orchestra adding lots of brass and percussion and parts of those arrangements were phenomenal. Imagine a fabulous cajon player and multiply by 50 (5 groups of 10 playing various rhythms/sounds separately or on top of each other) and ad 5 groups of 10 brass players doing the same....some parts were mind trilling. This could work in flamenco as well.

At the same time i hate it when when tango orchestras include 4 violins playing the same melody or when flamenco groups include a group of dancers doing the same moves simutaneous so producing the goods as a group is indeed very difficult and most of the time a disappointment from my point of view.

Vicentes El poeta happens to be one of the few records of him i like.




bursche -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 17 2012 20:13:43)

quote:

the other exception alongside Tauromagia is Riqueni's Mi Tiempo album

And especially Manolo knows what he is doing, I like all of his orchestra arrangements.
Riquenis' Tangos and Serranas, ha, canela pura!




Erik van Goch -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 17 2012 20:34:04)

quote:

ORIGINAL: bursche


And especially Manolo knows what he is doing, I like all of his orchestra arrangements.




Tauromagia was arranged by his brother Jose Miguel "evora"




mark indigo -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 17 2012 21:12:49)

quote:

My father.... is convinced that the orchestra in Paco's "El Duende Flamenco" was added on top of a solo recording of de Lucia and that they never met/played together.


not surprising, as that's exactly what it sounds like![:D]




Doitsujin -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 17 2012 21:20:32)

yeah.. orchestra with flamenco is kind of annoying.. But its still better than Ottmar Liebert.




Miguel de Maria -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 17 2012 22:50:44)

If I recall correctly, in Paco's biography, the author stated the strings were added on later because the pieces were deemed too weak by themselves. Wish I had citations.




bursche -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 17 2012 22:56:10)

quote:


Tauromagia was arranged by his brother Jose Miguel "evora"


Isn't one of his brothers a conductor? Maybe Josemi?




mark indigo -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 17 2012 23:01:44)

quote:

If I recall correctly, in Paco's biography, the author stated the strings were added on later because the pieces were deemed too weak by themselves. Wish I had citations.


is that from the Paco Sevilla book? even if so, i dunno where he got the info from, maybe it says in the book...? i can't remember either[:D]

either way, 2 of the tracks (zapateado and guajira) came out on the live album without strings




Erik van Goch -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 17 2012 23:34:12)

quote:

ORIGINAL: bursche

quote:


Tauromagia was arranged by his brother Jose Miguel "evora"


Isn't one of his brothers a conductor? Maybe Josemi?


I wouldn't be surprised. Isidro probably contributed as well.




estebanana -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 18 2012 4:19:51)

I kind of like the Del Monte concerto, it's not as boring as those insipid Rodrigo concertos written for Segovia.

I think flamenco guitar works with orchestra, but so far no one has really orchestrated one with modern enough orchestration ideas for my taste. There are so many interesting places it could go, but most composers, guitarists have stayed very conservative or conventional with the orchestration. The flamenco and to an extent the classical guitar, although not so much today, and orchestra blend always seems to get trapped in a folk music idiom. It's like the guitar plays a solo and the orchestration supports it. Older concertos like Rodrigos concerto are set up this way for the most part, because hey you're supposed to feature the solo instrument in a concerto. However I feel like most of it is this supporting accompaniment that drags it down.

A flamenco guitar could accompany solo instruments in the orchestra the way it accompanies singers and the orchestration could be more far out harmonically and texturally. I hear these orchestra flamenco guitar things and they often sound really cloyingly tonal in the respect that they try to be folky. Even when Kodaly and Bartok were collecting folk music material to document it and study it, they later used it as thematic material for their own works. One of the things that Bartok did with this primary source material was to transform it, not reproduce it. I feel like flamenco guitar orchestra projects by and large have not even caught up to Bartok yet, thus to my ear accustomed to hearing complex twentieth century orchestration they sound old fashioned.

I hear things to be much darker and less tonal, more about the sounds of flamenco becoming part of a chamber orchestra, but not verbatim palos spelled out as guitar solo with orchestral backing. I think there would be a narrow audience for music like this so people are not trying to do it.

There are the types of groups not that are playing flamenco with older Sephardic music or Arabic forms and blending them together. It resembles a form of baroque continuo playing, which is cool. the format is like solo, support, solo, support, trade to the other genre repeat. It's like form of jazz in that is is open for improvisation. But it still not modern it is harmonic structures or symphonic ideas.

So yeah I'm into orchestra and flamenco guitar, but waiting for the Charles Ives or Iannis Xenakis of flamenco guitar to appear and take it to a new place besides the harmonic artificial sweeteners we mostly get. The players are good, the orchestras are good, but the composers are boxed into these boring old symphonic structures for various reasons, like worried about freaking out the audience of flamencos; who by and large are very narrow musically if you deconstruct flamenco. As long as traditional cante' is not harmed in any way, right, it's fair to reconstruct flamenco into a dark brooding monster like an Egon Wellesz symphony or Schnittke cello sonata. And in the end maybe cante' should be assailed and dismembered and Bartokized.

So yes I find flamenco guitar and orchestra annoying, but for reasons that don't l have anything to do with the orchestral contamination of flamenco. In my view it's not contaminated enough to make it interesting to listen to as modern music.




ToddK -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 18 2012 5:59:36)

"Why oh why seem flamenco guitarrists so keen on recording their stuff with an orchestra?"

Is this some kind of trick question?

Why are you so keen on doing things you enjoy?

I'm gonna take a shot in the dark and say, you do things you enjoy,
because uuummm, you enjoy it..

I love orchestra, and i can totally see why some guitarists will make
up any excuse to play with one.
El Duende Flamenco is one of my all time favorites. (even if Paco never actually played along with the orchestra live on that album LOL)
TK




Florian -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 18 2012 6:07:05)

quote:

Why oh why seem flamenco guitarrists so keen on recording their stuff with an orchestra?? I MUST be missing something here. Is it a matter of prestige, is it good publicity, concluding new customer circles? Sorry but i will not acknowledge it as artistic decision as i think the addition of an orchestra completely nullifies the directness of flamenco, not to mention that the guitar remains way underpowered with its skinny tone compared to the real instruments. I can understand how single instruments can blend nicely with flamenco, such as violin, sax or even harmonics. But 40 other instruments playing stuff that was composed for a single guitar? Nope.


I am sure theres as many reasons as the are albums with orchestras on it and i am sure some even do it for the wrong reasons but i am sure some are just artistic decisions


maybe some are thinking of a bigger picture, like the overall effect ...but anyway good arranging can absolutely highlight and make the guitar better and show its depth and its beauty...

perfect examples Vicente's Poeta or Paco's Concierto de Aranjuez (even tho theres a whole orchestra the guitar stands out as the solo instrument)....that first time the guitar comes in by itself with the theme melody after the orchestra build up just absolutely makes and shows the guitar's beauty, shows its brilliance, would not get the same effect without the orchestral build up to it......it can certainly add to it and be used to highlight it ...

dosent mean there aren't also wrong ways of using an orchestra ...like getting lost in it and might as well not be there... having 2 or 3 solo instruments cancel each-other out at the same time or not having the right sound adjustments for the different type of volume and attention grabbing instruments




Done right they can be amazing and have amazing impact, impossible to achieve with anything else other than an orchestra....orchestra alone dosent dictate if something is good or bad...just what gets done with it..and of course the listeners taste




Anders Eliasson -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 18 2012 6:55:49)

Flamenco guitarists are bored. There are not many passing chords to be discovered. Not many weird tunings to be used that havent been used. You cannot play faster picado. Everyone has recorded with weird instruments. farting basses are used up.
So what to do?????
Orchestra... Oh yeah. Fortunately we can decide not to listen.




KMMI77 -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 18 2012 7:11:59)

I love this





Adam -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 18 2012 13:55:25)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Deniz

Why oh why seem flamenco guitarrists so keen on recording their stuff with an orchestra?? ... Sorry but i will not acknowledge it as artistic decision as i think the addition of an orchestra completely nullifies the directness of flamenco, not to mention that the guitar remains way underpowered with its skinny tone compared to the real instruments.


Why do other guitarists do X? Oh, but don't tell me their tastes or preferences differ from mine in any way, because that's clearly impossible.

I mean, come on dude, what sort of answer were you expecting? [:D]

(For the record, I love a well-done flamenco/orchestra mix, for the simple reason that I love flamenco and I love orchestral music. The results might not be as "direct" as traditional flamenco but that doesn't mean it's not enjoyable and even beautiful music. So in other words it is possible, at least in theory, that some of these guitarists do in fact see it as an artistic decision.)




dararith -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 18 2012 16:17:39)

quote:

Why do other guitarists do X? Oh, but don't tell me their tastes or preferences differ from mine in any way, because that's clearly impossible.

I mean, come on dude, what sort of answer were you expecting?

(For the record, I love a well-done flamenco/orchestra mix, for the simple reason that I love flamenco and I love orchestral music. The results might not be as "direct" as traditional flamenco but that doesn't mean it's not enjoyable and even beautiful music. So in other words it is possible, at least in theory, that some of these guitarists do in fact see it as an artistic decision.)


Well said. =)

I still can't get over Chicuelo's "A Tres" bulerias with all the other added instruments. I don't think his musical entourage diluted the sound of his playing at all...if anything, it enhances everything and is still one of my top favorite solo bulerias piece, even though it's not traditional.




XXX -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 18 2012 17:06:03)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Adam
(For the record, I love a well-done flamenco/orchestra mix, for the simple reason that I love flamenco and I love orchestral music.


Well i like steak and i like chocolate cream but i dont want to eat a chocolate steak... not even if its a "well-done" mix [:D]

I really dont see any artistic value in it. I think they just get called "hey you wanna play with orchestra?" and they say "ok sure why not. Paco has done that too so i guess its good". [;)]
There are things that blend well together. Orchestra and flamenco (by that i mean actual palos like bulerias, solea etc) just dont IMO. And again i have to state i think its just a ego thing, ie having played with an orchestra which is associated with the higher standards of music.




Adam -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 18 2012 17:12:20)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Deniz

quote:

ORIGINAL: Adam
(For the record, I love a well-done flamenco/orchestra mix, for the simple reason that I love flamenco and I love orchestral music.


Well i like steak and i like chocolate cream but i dont want to eat a chocolate steak... not even if its a "well-done" mix [:D]

I really dont see any artistic value in it. I think they just get called "hey you wanna play with orchestra?" and they say "ok sure why not. Paco has done that too so i guess its good". [;)]
There are things that blend well together. Orchestra and flamenco (by that i mean actual palos like bulerias, solea etc) just dont IMO.


Yeah, that's fine. You don't have to like it, obviously. But that doesn't mean that no one else likes it either. So it's a bit silly to discount that as even a possible answer.




Escribano -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 18 2012 17:16:00)

quote:

Well i like steak and i like chocolate cream but i dont want to eat a chocolate steak


The Mexicans cover chicken in a spicy chocolate sauce. Chocolate mole is very nice indeed.




XXX -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 18 2012 17:16:48)

People like all kinds of weird things and if you search long enough im pretty sure you will find a guy who likes chocolate steak too.

edit: haha Simon, nice. I know spicy chocolate, but was thinking of the normal chocolate stuff.

oh btw, i am still waiting for answers that can explain what is the benefit of this orchestrated flamenco stuff. As i said maybe its me and Im missing something (very unlikely but still possible).




mezzo -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 18 2012 17:47:11)

I enjoyed this tune. Don't know if it's polyphonic behind but it gives a nice touch.



I first thought it was a sevillana (since i never listened to this sucking palo) and said to myself wow that would be the 1st sevillanas I enjoyed...then looking closer for posting it here, I discovered it's a tangos!! [&o][8D] ouf!




odinz -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 18 2012 20:20:06)

Probably because they think it sounds nice with an orchestra.
You don't like it but that doesn't mean that it is bad or anything, it is just that you don't like it.

The thing you are missing is in my opinion just the taste for it and we all have different tastes in music I think.

But I think it is wrong to say anything about aristic value or bringing in ego of the artist.
If anything it would seem that you are doing this because of your own ego and you yourself will brush of any answer due to yourself not seeing any artistic value in it, almost like you are a person of such high authority within music that you have the right to talk down on other artist's work or experimentation because it doesn't fit your musical palate.

Other than that, playing with an orchestra is really fun, and you learn alot from it and it just a fantastic experience and you will walk away from it being a better musician.

I think that if an artist wants to use an orchestra and gets the chance to do so, they should.

I mean what reason can you possibly find that is good enough to stop musicians from making their music how they want or experiment with it to walk away with even more experience as a musician, especially when there are people who loves to listen to it?

Some value must be there if people like it, you just don't value the same things[:)]




estebanana -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 18 2012 22:36:03)

It really pisses me when I post an amazing well thought out rant and it gets ignored.

See if I ever piss on your parade again!




XXX -> RE: Why orchestra? (Sep. 18 2012 22:49:36)

Your post was indeed well thought and i would have liked to see more of that kind but i guess thats expecting too much. I didnt reply to it because i didnt understand a word though [:D]
In this case im pretty sure im not having any taste issue. Above i provided some pointers, which are clear to those who care to read.




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